Kitchen Sink Debris Corralling Tool with Sealing Grip Points
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen sink designs hinder the efficient transfer of food debris into the garbage disposal due to dishware blocking the sink drain, requiring manual persuasion and tools to corral and transfer debris, which can cause noise and interference with water flow.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen sink debris corralling and transfer tool with a removable hand hold, circular flat surface, and extension component featuring elevated points for gripping debris, which aligns with the sink apparatus to create a sealing relationship, preventing noise and interference, and facilitates easy transfer of debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a garbage disposal cap is used to scrape waste from eating wear and sinks, then safe insertion of waste into the disposal unit is allowed, but the cap and scraper-plunger portion may interfere with water flow and generate noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful functions (noise generation and water flow interference) from the garbage disposal cap by separating the sealing function from the scraping function. The cap portion is designed to seal the drain opening without interfering with water flow, while the scraper-plunger is removed as a separate component that can be operated independently, thereby eliminating the harmful effects while maintaining the beneficial waste insertion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the garbage disposal cap into distinct functional components: a cap portion for sealing the drain opening, a scraper-plunger portion for removing waste, and a handle for operation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with water flow or generating excessive noise, as the sealing and scraping functions are spatially and operationally separated.
2Ease of operation
If dishes cover the sink drain hole, then access to the garbage disposal is blocked, but removing dishes may cause debris to be ejected or splashing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the garbage disposal cap with scraper-plunger) that mediates between the blocked drain opening and the waste debris. The cap seals the drain hole to prevent debris ejection and splashing, while the scraper-plunger provides a controlled mechanism for removing waste through the sealed opening, thereby maintaining access to the garbage disposal without causing harmful debris ejection or splashing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by sealing the drain opening with the cap portion before removing waste. This pre-sealing action prevents debris from being ejected or causing splashing during the waste removal process, counteracting the potential harmful effects before they can occur.
3Productivity
If a tool is used to manually push debris through the apparatus, then transfer of stubborn debris is enabled, but the tool may interfere with water flow and create noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the garbage disposal cap to serve multiple functions: sealing the drain opening, providing a scraper for waste removal, and acting as a noise dampener. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate tools to push debris, as the cap itself provides the necessary mechanisms for transferring stubborn debris while preventing noise and water flow interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful sealing action into a beneficial feature by designing the cap portion to seal the drain opening, which simultaneously prevents noise transmission and water flow interference. The sealing function, which could be seen as obstructing water flow, is instead used to create a controlled environment for waste removal that eliminates harmful noise and splashing.
Data Source
AI summary
A debris corralling tool for use in a sink is disclosed and comprises a removable hand hold component; a circular flat component having a side edge having a vertical face, wherein the circular flat component is attached to and below the handhold component, wherein the circular flat component and vertical face have a slot formed therein; and an extension component, the extension component having a vertical portion attached to and extending downward from the circular flat component and terminating at attached disk component, wherein the disk component has a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a plurality of contact points configured to trap debris between individual contact points in the plurality.